The Thomas Crown Affair (1968) • The Next Reel

November 29th, 2018

Episode description

"Do you play?"

Norman Jewison had worked with Steve McQueen on the film The Cincinnati Kid, so it was natural for him to immediately think of McQueen in the title role of The Thomas Crown Affair when he got the script. Luckily for him, McQueen was interested, as the part was vastly different from other types of people he’d played in the past. He worked opposite Faye Dunaway in her second major leading role, and the two created some amazing screen chemistry. Join us – Pete Wright and Andy Nelson – as we continue celebrating films from 1968 celebrating their 50th anniversaries as we kick off our 2018 Movies and Their Remakes series with Jewison’s The Thomas Crown Affair.

We talk about the vibe of the film and look at how it fits in the late 60s, both in the world of cinema and in the world in general. We look at McQueen and Dunaway and how well they work together, even if the script by Alan Trustman seems a bit simple. We look at the jazzy way Jewison put the film together with cinematographer Haskell Wexler and editor Hal Ashby. We also discuss Pablo Ferro’s amazing contribution to the film through the magic of the multi-screen images seen throughout. And we talk about the film and how it was largely filmed in Boston, the first major film to do so.

It’s a fun film that is a breeze to watch even if it’s a bit light on content, we still have a great time talking about it. So check it out then tune in! The Next Reel – when the movie ends, our conversation begins.

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